The United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina is accepting applications for a Pro Se Law Clerk for the Asheville, NC divisional office. The duties specified herein are intended to provide generalized examples of the major duties and responsibilities that are performed by the incumbent.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

The Pro Se Law Clerk performs substantive screening of all prisoner petitions and motions, including state habeus corpus petitions, motions to vacate sentence, and civil rights complaints; performs substantive screening of other pro se litigation; drafts appropriate recommendations and orders for the court’s signature; performs research to assist the court in preparing opinions; maintains liaison between the court and litigants; reviews the docket of pending prisoner litigation to assure the proper progress of such cases and advises the court of those cases where action by the court is appropriate; compiles statistics and prepares periodic reports which reflect the status and flow of cases, and performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Graduation from an accredited law school, a strong academic background, membership (in good standing) with a State Bar, and at least one year of full-time post J.D. legal experience. A strong work ethic, excellent organizational, communication and research / writing skills are required. Applicant must possess proficient typing and computer skills; ability to work with strict deadlines within a fast-paced
environment and ability to work independently or as a team player.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (COURT PREFERRED):
Working knowledge of criminal law and constitutional law, and previous state or federal clerkship experience.

Grade 14: $103,106: J.D. and three years post J.D. legal experience. At least three years post J.D. legal work experience. Bar membership required (active or inactive)

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants must submit the following;

INCOMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGES WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

• AO78 Application for Federal Judicial Branch Employment – This form can be found on the employment section of our website at http://www.ncwd.uscourts.gov/employment
• Cover letter and resume
• Personal writing sample of a motion or brief at least 5 pages in length
• Law school transcripts

Complete applications should be submitted via e-mail to hr@ncwd.uscourts.gov by close of business on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. All application materials should be sent as a single PDF document. Please reference Job Announcement # 19-04.

INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

Only qualified applicants satisfying all qualification requirements, as specified in the vacancy announcement, will be considered for an interview. Placement above the step 1 of the grade for which the applicant qualifies is based on previous federal experience.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Positions in the United States Courts are excepted appointments, are not under the Civil Service System, and are considered “at will” positions. Successful employment with the United States Courts is based on acceptable performance. The court requires employees to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judiciary Employees which is available upon request.

The United States District Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. More than one position may be filled from this posting in more than one location. In the event that a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the Clerk of Court may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position.

The court is not authorized to reimburse travel expenses for interviews or relocations. This position is subject to mandatory electronic direct deposit of salary payments. Please note: successful candidate will undergo an FBI fingerprint background check.

The Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

BENEFITS

The judiciary offers a number of exceptional benefits to its employees. As a judiciary employee, you may be eligible to participate in the following benefits programs:

Additional information about federal judiciary benefits and compensation can be found on the United
States Courts website career page at: http://www.uscourts.gov/Careers.aspx

Additional Information

• This is a sensitive position within the Judiciary. The successful candidate is hired provisionally, pending the results of an FBI fingerprint and criminal background check.
• Employees must adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees which is available at http://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/judiciary-policies/code-conduct/code- conduct-judicial-employees
• Excepted service appointments are AT WILL and can be terminated with or without cause by the court
• Electronic Funds Transfer is mandatory for salary payments

The Western District of North Carolina is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Approximately 1450 square foot office space for lease in Doctor’s Park. Unit is at the opposite end of the building in which Biscuit Head is located. Unit is currently undergoing renovation so the space will be new upon lease. In the unit is a waiting/reception area, conference room, break room, and 3 offices. Walls have sound deadener installed to ensure no sound issues. Included in rent will be maintenance, electric, water, taxes, and garbage (although you need to walk it to the can).

If interested, call Mike: 828-252-0002 or on my cell phone at 828-273-0315.

For more than 35 years, McGuireWoods has been a national leader in the defense of environmental, products and mass tort litigation. With 62 attorneys devoted to these practice areas, we offer exceptional depth and experience to handle the most difficult litigation threats facing corporate America. We have defended clients in virtually every type of high-stakes litigation across the U.S. in state courts and federal district courts, including lead pigment, nuisance litigation involving livestock operations, class actions for the country’s leading automotive manufacturers, tens of thousands of asbestos and silica lawsuits, toxic tort claims involving many types of chemical exposures, and foodborne illnesses.

What differentiates our practice is that our lawyers are experts in developing strategically focused defense plans to help our clients achieve their goals in the most efficient and effective way possible. Whether leveraging early settlements, or winning cases outright at the pretrial stage of litigation, at trial or through successful appeals, we let the client’s unique needs drive the strategy. This is well-recognized and appreciated by our clients, most of whom we have represented for decades.

Job Requirements

Qualified candidates will have 1-3 years of litigation experience. Excellent academic credentials and demonstrated top-notch legal research, analysis and writing skills are required. Former judicial clerks are preferred. Candidates must be a member of the North Carolina bar.

Disclaimer: At this time, McGuireWoods will not be accepting applicants submitted through search firms or headhunters for this position. All qualified candidates must submit their own applications for consideration